SSJ Rogue
by WarKnyte
Summary: Introducing Rogue's new powers in a probably completely new way. Also intro Gambit. Hope you enjoy. Will also have a bit of Logan and Ororo for those who like it.
1. New Ally

Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff. Who do you think I am, Stan Lee? Sheesh. And I'm not making any money off of it either, so there.

Request: Any tips/requests on plot and writing technique are more than welcome. Criticism must be constructive, or I'll blow up your house plants.

Had to put in my version of how Rogue gets her powers. Also had to introduce Gambit to Evolution in my own special way. Hope you enjoy. Please Review.

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**SSJ Rogue**

Professor Xavier sighed heavily as he wheeled slowly away from Cerebro. He had been picking up intermittent mutant signatures around Bayville for the last week, but they were so faint that he could never get a fix on them. These shadows, as he had dubbed them, were a source of real concern for him. There appeared to be a mutant with full control of their powers, impressive mental shields and an unknown agenda wandering the streets with his students. He needed more information on this mutant if he was going to recruit him/her or, if need be, protect his students from this newcomer.

By this time he had reached his study to find Rogue waiting for him. He had scheduled these weekly late night sessions with her to help her try to deal with her powers, perhaps control them, but as they had progressed it had become more and more apparent that she needed help just suppressing all of the different memories and personalities that she had absorbed.

"Hey, professah," she greeted him. "You look tired, mebbe I should come back later."

"That won't be necessary, Rogue," he assured her, motioning her back to the sofa she had risen from. "I have merely been trying to ascertain the whereabouts of our mysterious new mutant. There is no need for us to postpone our session."

"Thank ya, professah."

"Now, how have your 'guests' been behaving?" He always referred to them as that. He found that it helped her to be more relaxed and receptive to his help if he labeled them something non-threatening, rather than as the intruders they were.

"They're all real quiet and under control, except for _him_. He keeps trying to talk me into lettin' him take ovah my body. Says he has powers I wouldn't believe and he can use 'em to help." She looked up at him pleadingly, her distress plain in her voice. "Ah really think he wants to help professah, but I can't just let him take ovah."

Professor Xavier nodded in understanding. He had kept Rogues secret ever since she had come and confided in him, asking for his help in controlling these voices in her head. Only one still gave her any trouble. While she had been with the brotherhood Mystique had sent Rogue on a special mission. She had tricked Rogue into completely absorbing another person. The professor had so far been unable to determine whether this person had been a mutant or non-mutant human, but his presence in Rogues mind had prompted him to set up these sessions with her. She had let him into her mind on two occasions and he had found and quieted most of her mental shades, but this one had managed to elude him.

"I would like to speak with him Rogue, if I may. If he truly does wish to help us then perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement." At her horrified look the professor quickly clarified. "We will not under any circumstances allow him to take control of your body. It may be, however that he had powers which you now possess and would be able to access with his help. If such were the case, would you be willing to accept it? There are risks, and it is up to you to decide whether they are acceptable."

"If you think it'll be safe, then ah'll try," she said simply.

He nodded, his heart swelling with love and pride for the trust that she, of all his students, placed in him. He wheeled over to her side and placed one hand on her forehead, reaching out with his mind to touch her thoughts.

Instantly he was immersed in a soft white light that seemed to emanate from nowhere, illuminating a surreal landscape of floating islands stretching into infinity. He homed in on the closest of these islands, feeling the familiar aura that was his students mind, and floated down towards it. As soon as his 'feet' touched the surface the scene around him changed. He found himself in the pastoral meadow that was Rogues mind, the grass rolling on seemingly forever, rippling gently in a warm breeze. The sun shone down and warmed the land with clouds casting shadows here and there. Off in the distance he spied a lone figure standing on the crest of a hill. There was really only one person that could be. All of the others Rogue had absorbed were tucked safely away in the back of her mind, and she herself had never met him here.

Slowly he walked toward the silhouette, being careful not to startle them. As he drew closer he noted that this presence was much stronger and more substantial than any of the others he had encountered in her mind. He studied him (for he could tell by now that it was a man) very carefully as he drew near, scrutinizing this unwilling 'guest.' He was tall, but not unusually so, and he had spiky black hair that made him seem even taller. He seemed incredibly fit with a muscle tone that would put Wolverine to shame, and his stance and body language absolutely reeked of power and control. Very obviously this was a fighter, perhaps the greatest that Xavier had yet met. _And he seems to want to help us, to help Rogue._

By this time Xavier had reached the hilltop the strange warrior was facing him, obviously waiting for him to speak first. "Hello," seemed like a logical place to begin. "My name is professor Charles Xavier. Rogue is my student. I assume that you two are acquainted." At this the figure smiled crookedly and nodded. "She informs me that you have offered to help her."

"Yes," his voice was calm, almost pleasant. "I've been watching your students fight through her eyes. They have some very interesting powers but I think I could help."

"What is it that you can do?"

"I could teach Rogue to use my abilities and powers. She would be more than a match for anyone that you might face."

"And what exactly are your powers?"

"I've been trained in the ancient art of Kaio Ken," he said proudly. At Xavier's puzzled look her sighed. "I can train Rogue and then she can demonstrate for you in your danger room. She will be stronger, faster and tougher than you can believe."

The professor nodded in understanding. "I have noticed that she seems much more resilient lately. Perhaps she is already tapping into some of your power."

"She's touched the edges, but there's still a lot I could teach her. I promise," he added quickly, "that I won't try take control of her body. I know that she fears that more than anything."

"I see." After a minute of deep contemplation, looking into the eyes of this stranger who seemed to genuinely want to help, Xavier came to his decision. "Very well. I trust you. Ultimately, however, it will be up to Rogue to decide."

Nodding in understanding the stranger turned and started to walk off. "Wait," the professor called after him. He half turned and cocked his head. "What's your name?"

"I am Goku."

* * *

He sat on top of the water tower gazing out over Bayville. Gazing, if anyone had been there to notice, directly at the mansion with the plaque out from proudly proclaiming it Xavier's School for the Gifted. His preparations were now complete and tomorrow he would begin. His employer had tracked him down, no easy feat in itself, and given him this job. His fee had been exorbitant but they had agreed on a quarter to start and the rest on completion of the job. He was here to soften up these X-Men. Once he was done with them they would be easy targets for those Marauders. He grinned into the faintly starlit night. The X-Men wouldn't stand a chance against him.

He stood up to leave, glancing once more at the estate where his targets lived and felt a pang of regret. Really he wasn't so different from them. Perhaps... He shook his head angrily to clear it. He was nothing like them. He was a professional and he would do his job. Resolutely he turned his back, his eyes seeming to glow a soft red in the darkness.


	2. Trying it out

Thank you to all who review, especially to those who left longer reviews with some thought put in (you know who you are.) Once again, I own nothing. Oh, Solitare, I promise I don't plan to rush the romance. One of my pet peeves too.

Chapter 2

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Rogue woke up with a groan to her alarm clock. She really hated Mondays. Having to get up early and get ready for school. School itself just made the day that much worse. She stared blearily out her window at the cheery morning sunlight filtering through her curtains. Disgusting. Why couldn't she just sleep a few more minutes? She contemplated it for another moment or so, then realized that it just wasn't going to be possible. In a few more minutes Kitty was going to be up and puttering around their room, listening to her horribly cheerful music. With that thought to motivate her she struggled out of bed and took her clothes into the bathroom to wash up and put on her customary makeup.

By the time she was finished it was time for breakfast. Making her way into the kitchen she was enveloped in the noise and commotion of the institute on a school morning. She waved half-heartedly in response to the hails from her fellow X-Men and some of the other students who had already made it to the table as she stacked her plate with sausage and pancakes.

"Aggh!!! Kurt, watch it," she yelled, waving away a cloud of brimstone as the perpetrator smiled sheepishly at her.

"Sorry Rogue," he apologized before dashing off to the table.

Rogue quickly suppressed a smile as she watched the closest thing she had to a brother talking animatedly around a mouthful of food. Her smile changed abruptly as she saw Scott and Jean sitting next to each other. Jean was laughing at some joke or other and Scott was leaning towards her, his eyes bugged out comically. It irked Rogue that Jean was the only one who seemed to be able to make Scott crack a genuine joke. _Ah could make him laugh and joke if ah had a chance,_ she thought bitterly.

The professor rolled into the kitchen then, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. "As you are no doubt aware by now, there is a new mutant in Bayville." He paused for a moment but there was no surprised reaction at this news. "However, what you may not have heard is that I have as yet been unable to pinpoint their location, nor have I been able to determine what their mutation may be. Until we know more about this person I would like all of you to be careful. It is possible that this is merely a mutant who is just coming into their powers and so I cannot get a fix on them. If, however, they are in full control and wish to harm us, this person will no doubt be very dangerous to us. If anything unusual occurs please let either myself or one of the other teachers know immediately."

"Unusual for us, Prof," Evan asked, "or for your average high schooler?"

The professor smiled tolerantly at this. "Your point is well taken. Use your discretion on the matter, but please be careful and stay together." With this he wheeled up to the table and started eating.

Breakfast started to break up at that point as they all headed to school. The X-Men piled into Scott's car, all except Evan, who took off on his skateboard. Jean and Scott of course sat in front, with Kurt and Rogue and Kitty taking up the back seat.

_Rogue._

She was distracted from her glaring at the back of Jean's red hair by the voice in her head. At first she thought that it was the professor calling her, but after a moment she realized that it was Goku.

_Hello._ She thought back rather timidly. She had never before talked to any of the people in her head, so this was a new and rather disturbing experience for her. _How are yah?_ She immediately cursed herself for an idiot as she realized she had just asked someone who had been ripped from their body and was living in someone else's mind how they were doing.

She felt a mental chuckle coming from him and relaxed a little. _I'm fine, all things considered. I thought we might get started with a little of your training. I think we can skip the whole 'getting to know you' stage._

Rogue almost smiled back. It didn't seem like it would be that bad after all. She already knew that he was a good and decent man, and now she knew that he didn't hold anything against her. They continued talking for the rest of the rather short trip to school. He described to her how to do many of the amazing things that she had seen him do in his memories. They agreed to do a little practical test of those powers that evening in the danger room. Hopefully she could get professor Xavier to let her use it alone for an hour or two.

"Rogue?" Kurt asked, waving his hand in front of his "sister's" face. They had arrived at school and had all hopped out of the car and headed to class when he had noticed that she was still sitting there looking off into space.

Rogue jerked back to reality and scowled fiercely at Kurt. "What?" Immediately she felt sorry for her harsh tone and apologized to him.

"Think nothing of eet." He responded with a smile and jaunty wave. "You better hurry though, or you'll be late for class." With that he turned and ran of to the school doors.

Quickly following suit Rogue made it to her first class just as the bell was ringing. She slunk to her usual seat in the back of the class and waited for the teacher to stand up and introduce today's lesson. English was not her favorite class to say the least. Today promised to be different, however. As soon as the morning announcements were over (_Oh joy, another pep assembly_) the teacher stood up. This time, instead of turning to the blackboard, she raised her hands to get their attention and stop the excited chattering over the impending assembly.

"Class, today we have a special treat. We are receiving an exchange student from France. He should be arriving any minute now and I want you all to give him a warm Bayville greeting. Please try to include him in your activities and groups and to make this a positive experience for all of us."

Rogue looked around at the reactions of her classmates to this unexpected announcement. While she may not be the star student, she was by no means stupid. She knew that it was somewhat unusual for an exchange student to arrive in the middle of the school year like this. While she was busy trying to figure out why this may have happened she missed the door opening. She started as someone walked by her to the front of the class and handed the teacher a note. He was dressed in comfortable black cotton pants and a loose fitting gray t-shirt. The teacher stood once again and addressed the students. "Boys and girls, this is Remy Lebeau, our exchange student. Remy, why don't you tell us a little about yourself." At this the young man turned to face them all and several of the girls in the class burst out with almost identical giggles.

Rogue had to stifle a gag at this. How incredibly stupid could you be? She wouldn't be caught dead giggling at a cute boy. This boy, she had to admit, was considerably more than cute. He was absolutely gorgeous. He had the kind of chiseled features and athletic body that would make most of the twittering girls at this school swoon, and the sunglasses he wore accented his features and added a bit of mystery by hiding his eyes. She immediately disliked him. He looked almost like some pretty boy, and worse yet, he knew it. She couldn't help a morbid curiosity in him though. _Yah nevah know, his personality may be able to make up for his looks._

Remy smiled at the students arrayed before him like some king surveying his subjects. _Dis is gonna be easier than I thought _he said to himself. To his classmates he said "Je'mappelle Remy. My name is Remy," he translated with an apologetic smile. His smile broadened as several of the girls giggled again.

Rogue glared at him fixedly. _Blasted snake charmer_, she thought. _He knows exactly what he's doin', playin' all o' them like a fiddle. Disgusting._ His gaze swept the classroom once again and Rogue looked down at her notebook before he could see her glare. She looked up again in consternation when he walked down the row and slid into the seat beside her.

"Bonjour," he greeted her in a friendly tone, holding out his hand for hers. When she grabbed his hand to shake it politely however, he brought the back of her glove to his lips. She shot him a quick, startled look and almost jerked her hand away. He smiled at her and turned back to the teacher.

Rogue did the same, feeling slightly flushed in the cool classroom. _Must be comin' down with somethin'. Hope I can shake it by tomorrow._ She caught herself glancing from time to time at the exchange student and quickly jerked her mind back to the lesson. She probably listened to more of that English lesson than she had to any in her life. When the class was finally over she hurriedly gathered her bags and almost bolted for the door.

She reached her locker in record time and only slowed when she had opened the lock and unloaded her English books into it. Luckily they didn't have any homework, much of the time being taken up by their teacher's question and answer session with the Lebeau kid. His English was surprisingly good, but his accent was straight out of a movie. Most of the girls had been practically drooling over him the whole time. She felt an unaccountable surge of anger and practically slammed her locker shut. She turned down the hall and gave a small shriek of surprise. Standing two lockers down from her was HIM!

He looked up in surprise to see her staring at him. "Hello again chere," he said. Then his face took on a slightly shy expression. "I do not suppose that you would be able to help me find my next class. I do not know anyone here and a new place is always confusing to me." His eyes suddenly twinkled slyly. "I would not bother you, but I think if I ask any of the other girls they may try to kidnap me." His shy smile grew into a real one at her snort of laughter.

She smirked up at him for a moment. "Alright, but just this once. Don't expect me to escort ya from class to class. I ain't you're bodyguard." She privately agreed with him on his assessment of the dangers of asking any of the other girls for directions. From the predatory looks some of them had been giving him he may be underestimating his danger.

"You are very kind, chere," he said with a smile. Once again he took up her hand and placed it to her lips. Several of the girls passing in the hall glared at her and she started to blush. Angrily she glared back and then at Remy, her blush fading into anger.. Jerking her hand away, she snatched his schedule from his other hand and perused it closely.

"Follow me," she said shortly, stalking down the hallway with the snake charmer in tow. She was halfway to her destination before she realized that his class was directly across the hall from hers. "Here ya are."

"Thank you chere. I apologize for taking up your time. Perhaps someday I will be able to return your favor." He smiled at her again, earning her more glared from passing girls, then disappeared through the classroom doorway.

Rogue shook her head irritably. He seemed nice enough but she was sure he'd be nothing but trouble. _I'll just stay away from him. That'll be for the best._ She didn't notice the bitter smile on her face as she entered her next class, glancing back involuntarily at the door he had disappeared through.

* * *

Remy felt the eyes of the entire class on him as he spoke to the teacher. He surveyed the students closely as he was introduced to the class. Excellent, his plan was coming together perfectly. He had used the French student cover before, and he knew no one would recognize him. His contact with the first of the X-Men had gone well. She was unusually resistant to his charm, but that only meant a challenge, and a sweeter victory when he was done. He may have to rethink his approach to her, perhaps do a little more research, but it shouldn't hamper his operation. After making his own, admittedly cheesy but effective for his purposes, introduction he took his seat.

"Hello chere," he greeted the redhead next to him, flashing her a devastating smile and turning on his charm full force. If the X-Men were able to resistant his normal charisma, he would have to augment it. Hopefully neither of the resident telepaths would notice.

Jean Grey turned to face the new student seated next to her. She flushed slightly as he smiled and took her hand, touching the back to his lips. Her blush climbed higher when he waited a second before releasing it.

_No,_ he thought to himself, _this won't be too hard at all. And it might even be fun._ Behind his sunglasses his red eyes glowed mischievously. _This could be lots of fun._


	3. Meeting them all

Thanks again to _everyone_ who reviewed. I love it and appreciate it. I never knew how giddy it could make me feel. I hope all of you are enjoying the story. Please let me know if you can give any advice on writing. Adulation and praise are also accepted. :)

Once again, I own nothing. It all belongs to people more creative and talented than I.

  


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**Chapter 3**

He had carefully crafted his schedule so that he had at least one class with each of the X-Men. In this way he could keep track of them and get to know them all, insinuating himself into their lives. He would have to be careful so as not to be found out, but his employer had put him on a deadline. Gambit hated deadlines, but this job had been too sweet to pass up.

By the end of the period he had the naïve telepath wrapped around his finger. His charm, which was actually a subtle, low-level hypnosis, was extremely useful, more so even than his other abilities at times. He didn't like to use it if he could help it, priding himself on his ability to win almost anyone over without resorting to his mutant abilities, but sometimes it was necessary. Telepaths, for example, seemed to be more resistant to his overtures and required a more direct contact. Thankfully the combination of his charm and ability to kinetically charge objects seemed to render him almost invisible to 'spooks.' This had been one of the major reasons his employer had been so insistent on obtaining his services.

Gambit absently rubbed his left shoulder. Insistent enough to send that brute, Sabertooth, to track him down. How they had known where to even start looking for him disturbed Remy more than a little, but that was a moot point now he reminded himself. The only thing that mattered right now was doing the job right. That and having as much fun as you could while doing it.

As he exited the classroom with Jean on his arm, several people were staring at them in shock, not the least of whom was Rogue. She had taken a little longer than usual leaving her classroom and had decided to show Remy to his next class if he needed it. When she saw Jean laughing at some witty observation though her expression changed from shock to consternation to a dull anger. Remy looked up just in time to see her turn on her heel and stalk down the hall clutching her book bag. He felt a momentary pang of regret, which he quickly shrugged off. He hadn't done _anything_ yet.

He talked Jean into taking him to his next class, where he met Kurt Wagner. They were able to bond about both being foreign students. Kurt asked the rather awkward question of where he was staying at the time, but Remy was able to change the subject quickly. It simply wouldn't do to let them know that he routinely broke into one of the hotels in town and appropriated a room, considerately not bothering the night desk keeper with his presence. _Gambit is always the soul of courtesy._

In his next class he became acquainted with Katherine Pryde. He was able to capture her attentions without even having to use anything beyond a little French. He was able to become privy to all the gossip of the school, as well as much of the personal lives of the institute residents when he politely asked her if she knew any of the others he had already met. _This one be a gold mine of information, _he thought to himself.

Kitty excitedly invited him to lunch. "C'mon, you can sit with me and my friends. I know you'll, like, love it. You already know most of them now. You just have to, like, meet Scott and Evan." She finally ran out of breath at the end of the fastest sentence Remy had ever heard.

"I feel like I already know them, chere. You've told me a lot about your friends." He bowed his head, appearing endearingly shy to her. "I hope they will like me."

"Oh don't worry about that. I know that Jean already thinks your cool, and I'm like sure that Scott and Evan will. Don't pay too much attention to Rogue, she doesn't, like, warm up to very many people," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Hey, Kitty." She turned to wave at a boy that Gambit didn't know yet. He was walking their way looking at Remy with something just this side of a glare. "Who's this?" He asked when he reached them.

"Lance, this is Remy. Remy, this is Lance," she said. She looked back and forth between them nervously as Lance stared hard at Remy and Remy gazed coolly back. It was hard to see his expression behind his sunglasses, but she got the feeling he wasn't the least bit intimidated by the Brotherhood leader.

"Hello, mon ami," Gambit greeted him, offering his hand to Lance. When the other boy took it, he squeezed perhaps a bit more than was necessary. _Dis boy got a good grip,_ he thought good naturedly. When he noticed how Lance hovered protectively over Kitty he almost cracked up. _Don' worry mon ami. You'll have plenty of chances to protect your precious kitten._ For a moment his expression took on a bitter cast as he remembered the one person he had tried to protect when he was younger. She had been hit on the head and hadn't even known her own name. Even though she had been older than him, he had felt like her big brother, protecting her from the dangers of the New Orleans streets. Then one night she had just disappeared, and he never knew what happened to her. He had been a loner ever since, even among the other thieves on the street Le Diabla Blanc had been an enigma.

Shaking off his reverie he followed Kitty to the table with the other X-Men and got his first good look at them as a group. It was obvious that Scott Summers was the leader of the group. They all seemed to naturally defer to him in most matters. He seemed a bit uptight, but Gambit knew that came from trying to make sure that his friends, his family was safe. _Dat's why it better to be alone. At least den you only got to worry about yourself._

He greeted them all politely and sat down next to Jean and Kitty. Across the table Rogue was alternating between glaring at him and looking wistfully at Scott and Jean while picking at her food. Gambit noticed her looks and catching her eye, winked slyly at her. She gave a start and looked down at her food quickly, so she almost missed what happened next. Remy simply reached out and took Jeans hand. She broke off her conversation with Scott and turned around with a puzzled expression on her face.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Remy said in his painfully correct French accent, "but I was wondering if you would be willing to show me around town after school." He smiled charmingly at her as all around the table mouths dropped in disbelief.

For a moment Jean seemed unable to answer as Remy kept smiling at her. Then she blushed and pulled her hand away. "Uh... sure, I don't see why not. I have to get permission from the professor and it will have to be after soccer practice..." she stopped rambling and took a deep breath. "Sure." Everyone at the table continued to stare, and Scott's teeth ground almost audibly.

"Jean," Scott said sternly, "you know you can't do that. We have " he broke off abruptly, realizing he had almost mentioned the danger room in front of an almost total stranger. "You don't have a car," he finished lamely.

"Perhaps she can borrow your car, mon ami," Remy suggested ingeniously. Scott was suddenly very grateful for his ruby quartz glasses that hid his glare.

"No," Scott said almost triumphantly. "I have to give everyone else a ride back to the institute."

Remy sighed in mock resignation. "That is too bad. Now we will just have to use my motorcycle. I hope you do not mind Jean."

Rogue almost giggled at the shocked look on Scott's face as he realized he had just been outsmarted. Then Remy got up from the table. "I must go now so I will be able to find my next class." With a jaunty wave he exited the cafeteria.

As soon as he was gone the table exploded with conversation. "Jean, I can't believe you agreed to go off with a stranger," From Scott. "Wow, you are so lucky, he is like, so cute," from Kitty. "C'mon Scott, he ees not a bad guy," from Kurt. "Cool, a motorcycle," from Evan.

Rogue was silent as the conversation roiled around her. She couldn't understand it. On one hand she was glad that Remy had asked Jean out. That meant that she wouldn't have to watch Scott fawning over her. On the other hand it irritated her that Jean was once again getting all the attention. Not that she wanted him, or any guy for that matter, to pay attention to her; it was just that Jean got more than her fair share. That's all.

  


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By the end of the school day Gambit was starting to lose it. He had forgotten how petty and stupid high school could be. When he had left the lunchroom he had been accosted by three football jocks led by Duncan Mathews. Duncan had seen him flirting with Jean and had made it clear that he would "break your face" if it continued. When Remy had yawned in his face they had dragged him outside for a preview. Gambit thought that he had been quite lenient with them. Only one of them had anything broken and the bruises weren't anywhere that would be visible. He had then informed them that if anyone found out about the little incident they would be kicked off of the team and would be receiving a late night visit from him. This had quelled any threats of retaliation from them.

His last two classes had gone well, except for the period he had with Scott. That would have been awkward had he cared at all what Scott thought of him. As it was he knew that his plan was going perfectly. He had apologized to Scott and told him that if he was going out with Jean then that evening was off. Scott, of course, was quick to say that they weren't going out, they were just friends. Remy had smiled broadly and said that he was glad to hear that; and that had been the end of their conversation.

Deciding to amuse himself, he walked over to where Rogue was sitting in the front seat of Scott's sports car. "Hello, chere," he greeted her, accidentally letting just a hint of his Cajun accent slip through. It was exhausting to keep up a phony accent all day. "Looks like your riding in style today. Hope you don't mind me taking out the competition."

"What competition? I ain't competin' with Jean over Scott." She said defensively, glaring up at him as he leaned against the side of the red car.

I never said you were," he replied smoothly. "I jus' thought you might like to ride in the front seat for once."

She glared up at him for a few moments longer then sighed. "I do get tired of sittin' back there and watchin' him make goo goo eyes ovah her," she said softly. "I guess it might even be nice to have someone look at me like that. Not much chance o' that, though."

Remy looked at her in surprise. She wasn't supposed to confide in _him_. In spite of himself, he felt a connection with this unusual girl. Maybe it was because they both tried so hard to be strong, so hard to not need anybody else, and yet in the end they were only human. And humans need to belong, to be loved. Through long years of practice he didn't let any of this show on his face, but it shook him. "Now why would chere say that. You're at least as pretty as any of your friends, and a whole lot more interesting." Without realizing it, Gambit spoke the first pure truth he had in a long time.

Rogue looked up at him and smiled bitterly. "Ya don't understand, Remy. It just won't work out for me." She looked down at her gloved hand in her lap. "All I do is hurt people," she whispered.

_Well, everyone knows how Gambit loves a challenge,_ he thought to himself, desperately trying to think of something to cheer up the depressed Goth. "Well chere, you might as well enjoy life while you got it. Why don't you ride home in some real style." He pointed across the parking lot to a shiny black Harley sitting out of the way.

Rogue looked up at him in astonishment then over to his Harley. "Ya can't be serious. You got that date with Jean tonight."

"But that isn't until tonight, chere. She'll be practicing for two more hours. Plenty of time for me to run you home. You can give me a tour of your institute."

"I don't know... I don't think I should..." she said doubtfully."

"Why not chere? It's not like you have anything to hide, is it?" He smiled playfully at her, cringing inside at using her like this to get inside the mansion. He had to get the security system mapped out, but he hated to do this to Rogue. She was just too much like him. _I have to r'member to stay away from her after dis. Must be losin' my touch._

"No! Of course we don't have nothin' to hide," she nearly shouted, looking up at him in consternation.

"Well then, let's get going before your dad can talk you out of it," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to indicate Scott, who was walking their way with a frown on his face.

Rogue took one look at his disapproving expression and her face hardened. "Alright, let's get outa here." She jumped out of the car and followed Gambit to his bike, completely ignoring Scott as he called after her. Once she had climbed on Remy gave a mock salute to leader of the X-Men and peeled out leaving the parking lot.

They sped down the highway, Rogue having to shout almost in Remy's ear as she called directions to him, the wind whipping her words away as it tangled in her hair. He deftly wove in and out of traffic, only occasionally obeying traffic laws. Rogue clung to him tightly, enjoying the sensation of wild abandon and the feel of holding someone so close.

All too soon they were at the gates of the institute. Rogue swung her leg over the back of the bike to dismount and stood shuffling her feet, refusing to look at Remy. "Ah really don't think it would be a good idea for ya to come in right now. Maybe another day would work." She tried not to sound too hopeful. She had had a great time on the ride up and was still exhilarated. She was trying hard to convince herself that it was only adrenaline."

"Don' worry 'bout it chere. Remy'll take a rain check." Rogue looked up at him sharply. His voice had changed, becoming tense and wary. More than that, his accent had changed. It was no longer the smooth French lilt, but something much closer to her own southern drawl. She noticed him looking hard at the mansion steps and turned to see what had so unnerved him.

There coming down the drive was Wolverine. He was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. She could clearly see the scowl on his stubbled face as he stalked toward them. She turned back to tell Remy that it was only Logan just in time to see him tear off down the road back to town. Looking confused, she turned to make her way to the institute."

"Who was that?" Logan growled as he fell in beside her.

"Just a new kid at school. Wanted to give me a ride home."

"Not smart, kid. Remember the mutant the professor's been trying to find? What if that was him. You just led him right to us."

"He wasn't a mutant. He's an exchange student from France. Can I go now dad?" She threw her hands up in disgust and headed to the danger room. Stopping by the professor's office on the way she got permission to practice alone for an hour. Now would be as good a time as any to test out the new powers she was supposed to have.

  


* * *

  


Gambit rode away from the mansion, cursing himself for nine kinds of a fool. _Idiot,_ he thought to himself. _Idiot, idiot. You know betta than to trust in someone else's scout. Dey tell you 'bout the kids and the wheelchair spook, but not the other adult. Gonna have to take a closer look around and find out what I'm really up against. Mebbe tonight I'll stop by, say 'Hi' to my new friends._ He grinned with growing excitement at the thought. This was why he was a thief, the thrill was better than anything he could imaging.

He thought back to the quick motorcycle ride up to the mansion with Rogue clutching to him and yelling in his ear. Almost anything. 


	4. Startling news

Thanks to all who have reviewed and waited. My sincerest apologies for the long wait for this chapter. My wife is about to have her baby, so I am understandably distracted. Please enjoy the fruits of my labor, and if you don't let me know what I can do to change that.

Once again, I own nothing but the idea and this story, and I make no money from either.

  


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Chapter 4

By the time her hour in the danger room was over, Rogue was exhilarated. She had never thought she would feel so free and strong. _I can't wait till Jean gets back and we have our group practice. Then I can show everyone what I can do._ She heard a quiet laugh in the back of her head and blushed. Goku was great, he had taught her so much about his powers and how to use them. It was strange for her to have to learn them this way. When she absorbed someone's powers she also absorbed their knowledge on how to use them and what they could do. She had been so shook up by what she had done to Goku, however, that she had blocked it from her mind. Now with his help, she was learning and remembering. I wouldn't be long now before she would be able to do anything that he could have done. _A few weeks o' practice and I'll be a match for anyone. I'll finally be able to pull my own weight,_ she thought happily.

She dabbed at the sweat rolling down her neck with a towel from the bathroom that she had taken down with her. Her makeup had withstood her workout pretty well but it still needed to be redone. She made her way back to her room and took a shower. She would just have to take another one after the X-men went through the danger room together, but she couldn't stand feeling all sticky, and she certainly didn't want to smell herself for that long.

By the time she had finished her shower and reapplied her makeup she realized she was starving. Hurrying downstairs to the kitchen she found Kurt there fixing himself a snack. She waved absently to him and went straight to the fridge. She was _really_ hungry. She found half a cold pizza and wolfed it down, barely slowing in her search for more food. Grabbing a bowl of noodles she continued her depredations. Kurt looked on in confusion and awe. He had never seen anyone eat like that, and he was the bottomless pit of the institute.

"Uh... Rogue," he said hesitantly, walking up behind her as she abandoned their now almost empty fridge in search of more food. When she didn't respond he tried again. "Rogue, what are you doing?"

"Huh? I'm eating, what does it look like," she replied around a mouthful of food. She rolled her eyes and returned to her search.

"It's not that you're eating, mein freund, but that you are eating more than me." He said this last with a pleading note to his voice, practically begging for an explanation.

"Ah had a hard workout in the danger room, that's all," she shrugged and left with a power bar in her hands. She knew from Goku's memories that extreme hunger was part of the Saiyin physiology, but she wasn't ready to explain that to Kurt just yet, or any of the other students for that matter. _I don't know how they'll react if they find out I as good as killed someone with mah powers._

Kurt looked after her with a bewildered expression on his face. "That must have been some workout."

Rogue went to her room and pulled out the book she had been working on for the past week and started to read. She really hated these book reports for English class, but there was nothing to be done but read To Kill a Mockingbird. Not too bad if she had to admit it to herself. It sure showed how unfair life could be sometimes.

After her fifth attempt to read the same page she gave up and looked at her clock. Remy would be picking Jean up from her practice about now and she would be showing him around town. Rogue was still trying to decide whether she was glad that he was flirting with Jean, or bitter that Jean was getting the attention of another guy. _She's not his type anyway,_ she reasoned to herself. Thinking back on it, she couldn't quite tell what kind of girl would be his 'type.' Rogue found herself wondering what kind of girl was his type. She knew he was a flirt and very charming, but that was just for fun. What kind of girl would he really be interested in? She let her imagination wander, picturing Remy in her mind with different kinds of girls.

She was jerked out of her reverie by the sound of Jeans voice announcing that she had gotten home. Rogue blushed as she realized that her mind had stopped on a picture of her and Remy together. That was ridiculous and stupid. _It can't happen anyway, so what's the point in even thinkin' about it. Besides, I got better things to do with my time than think about some boy._ She made her way downstairs, for once looking forward to the danger room session that was scheduled.

As she came to the foot of the stairs she heard Scott and Jean arguing in the next room. They broke off as she came in, settling for glaring at each other instead. They were all dressed in their uniforms and ready for the danger room, merely waiting as everyone else filed in.

As they were gathering inside the danger room the professor turned on the microphone in the control booth. "The purpose of this exercise will be to avoid capture and neutralize the power plant. You may form any sub teams that you wish, but no one is to be left behind. Understood?"

"Understood professor," Scott replied with a sharp nod. "Anything else we need to know?"

"Yes. Rogue, how did your earlier training session go today?"

She tried to suppress a smile, only partially succeeding. "It went great professah," she replied calmly. The others looked at her, puzzled.

"Excellent. Then I believe now is the time to tell you that Rogue has been working on developing new powers that have come to her. She has been practicing using these and will be utilizing them for the first time in a combat situation in this simulation. I am designating her point for this infiltration. Please back her up." With that he switched off the microphone and activated the simulation.

Immediately the scene around them changed from the familiar metallic interior of the danger room to the outside view of a large bunker. It was heavily patrolled and surrounded by a tall fence that looked to be electrocuted, topped with razor wire. There was a sharp scent of ozone in the air, letting them know that this was high security at it's best.

"Ok," Scott began, looking around at the group, "let's pair off. Rogue goes in first. Spike, Shadowcat and Jean will follow. Nightcrawler and I will stand in reserve in case you get into trouble. We want to get inside the fence and neutralize that power plant on the other side of the bunker." He gestured beyond the metal structure to the river running off the side and the plant surrounding it.

Rogue nodded, all business as she prepared for the task at hand. She had never been point before. Her powers had always been pretty much useless in this sort of covert operation, but now she had the chance to show them what she could really do. _Now maybe Scott'll see that red heads aren't the only ones with talent,_ she thought with a feral smile.

She headed down the hill towards the fence, ghosting from tree to tree with no difficulty. This simulation should be no problem. With her new strength she could simply tear the generator apart with her hands. She reached the fence without incident and heard a small gasp from Kitty as she simply flew over it and ran to crouch by the side of the bunker. This was just getting better and better.

Suddenly she heard shouting. Noise erupted all around her as guards came streaming out of the building, some with dogs barking on a leash. Lights on the electrified fence switched on, flashing over the grounds inside and out, trying desperately to identify the intruder. Rogue immediately took to the sky, flying fast and high, feeling the rush that it always brought to her. She noticed Jean about a hundred yards away floating up as well. _Rogue!_ she heard Jean's voice in her mind, sounding startled. _How... Never mind. We've got to get the others out of there._

_Right,_ she thought back. _Get Kurt to port in there and get them. Ah'll create a distraction._ She cut off her mental communication and looked around. Her eyes fell on the power plant. _I might as well finish the mission while I'm at it,_ she thought to herself. With that she headed straight for the river and the electrical generators.

She hit them with a spectacular crash, sending debris flying everywhere as she came to rest a few feet beyond where the turbines used to be. Walking back to them she picked up the one remaining piece of equipment, a coupler about as big as she was, and threw it into the river. The lights flickered then steadied again as the backup power activated. Suddenly the ground beneath her feet began to rumble and she saw a giant hole opening in the roof of the bunker. Somewhere in the confusion a loudspeaker crackled to life. "All troops retreat to the bunker. Repeat, all troops retreat to the bunker. Sentinel protocol has been activated. Beginning containment of hostiles."

Out of the gaping hole in the ground rose a huge humanoid silhouette. It was three times as large as a man, covered with a dully reflective coating. It's head was almost bullet shaped, but rounded off more at the top. As soon as it reached the surface it raised it's arm, palm facing towards Rogue. A bright red flash of energy shot out and hit her directly in the chest. She was caught of guard and knocked back into the river by the blast.

An answering red beam of destruction came from the hill where Kurt and Scott had been waiting, blasting a hole in the armor of the giant robot. The monstrosity slowly turned and was met by another blast, then another, finally forcing it to crumple to the ground in a heap. There was a loud bamf and a burst of brimstone as Nightcrawler appeared beside her. "Are you alright?" he asked her anxiously as she crawled out of the river.

"Ah'm fine," she gasped. "Just a little winded is all."

Kurt put his hand on her shoulder. "Time to go then. Our fearless leader says ve need to show the better part of valor." He grinned at her and teleported them to the hilltop.

As soon as they had all gathered together the hectic scene around them began to melt back into the familiar blank steel walls of the danger room. The thick steel doors opened and professor Xavier rolled in to face them. "You did very well back there. You got in much farther than I thought you would before being detected." He smiled at them.

"Thanks professor," Scott replied. "Umm... what were those giant robot things anyway."

"Those were Sentinels, Scott. I think that perhaps now is as good a time as any to let you know about this." He looked at them gravely for a moment then continued. "My contacts in the government have informed me that there is a movement to bring these experimental sentinels into service as an anti-mutant task force." He waited a moment for the uproar of questions from his students to die down before he went on. "There are those who are aware of mutants such as Magneto and the Brotherhood and believe that this warrants such extreme action. If this movement gains precedence and acceptance we could be facing a catastophe."

"Is that why you had us practicing to take out that bunker?" Jean asked quietly.

"That is correct, Jean. My friend in the defense department provided me with plans to the Sentinel production plant. It would be my hope that we could slip in and disable it without detection." He looked at them once again and felt a surge of pride. He could feel their fear and uncertainty, but even stronger, like an underlying bulwark he could feel their determination. They would help him and protect each other no matter what. "It goes without saying that this would be a last resort, but even so I will be running this simulation once a week. Now, do you have any questions?"

No one spoke for a long moment and then timidly Kitty raised her hand. "Are we going to let the Brotherhood know about this?"

"Not yet. If the time comes that we have to defend ourselves then yes, we will let them know, but until such a time there is no need to worry them." He paused. "Anything else? Then I bid you goodnight. Try to get some rest." With that he wheeled out of the room, leaving them all looking at each other.

  


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Remy was back up on the water tower, looking out over the town at the mansion. His evening with Jean had been quite helpful. He had learned that besides Professor Xavier there was only Logan, the unpleasant looking man he had seen when he had taken Rogue home, and Ororo, the only female member of their faculty. She of course hadn't said so, but he would bet his life that they were both mutants. The question was whether they would cause him any trouble. His best bet still seemed to be breaking into the school and checking things out for himself.

As the sun set in a dazzling display of pyrotechnics, he toyed briefly with the idea revealing to them that he was a mutant. They would probably invite him to live with them. It would be much easier to learn their secrets and weaknesses that way. Inexplicably his thoughts turned to Rogue. _Non, dat not the way to do it. Don' want to get too close to them. My pere always said, you get too close to a mark, you get attached. Makes you sloppy. No, I'll just do it the old fashioned way, like the thief I am._ He grinned into the darkness and slipped off the tower, slowly making his was to his apartment to prepare for the coming night.


	5. Late night visit

Once again sorry for the delay. I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. Let me know what you thought of what I call "The Confrontation." Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I appreciate every one of them and look forward to them. They aren't the whole reason I write, but they sure are a nice icing on the cake.

Once again, I own nothing except the raw (sometimes very raw) idea.  
Enjoy:  
**WarKnyte**

Chapter 5

Gambit looked down at his bed in the hotel, scanning the objects laid out and carefully choosing the ones he would need for his nighttime excursion. He had several high-tech devices to be used in defeating different security systems. He passed these by since he didn't know what kind of system or systems he would be encountering. In these uncertain situations he preferred to travel light and stay flexible. When you brought along a lot of different equipment you tended to want to create situations use it, and that could get you in trouble. In the end he finally decided to take his retractable metal Bo staff, which collapsed fit nicely into the segmented leather sheath on his thigh. He also took along two decks of his signature playing. _You never know when you might run into someone you can play a hand wit,_ he quipped to himself. He loaded one deck into the wrist "sheath" he had made to allow him maximum speed on the draw and placed the other one in his coat front pocket. Topping it all off with his worn, he preferred to call it "broken in," dark brown duster he stored everything else in a plain suitcase and carried it outside with him.

His first day here Remy had scouted out an old abandoned home to be his base of operations. He had selected it after carefully going through and making sure that no one had used it for the last few months, and had found the perfect hiding place for his tools under the stones of the fireplace. After dropping his suitcase off, he slowly made his way toward the Xavier mansion. By now it was about a quarter hour past midnight, and he wanted to give them all a little more time to get to sleep.

Arriving at the mansion about a half hour later, he climbed a tree outside of the wall and looked out over the grounds. Spotting several surveillance cameras almost immediately, he smiled wryly. _Lotta good dat'll do ya,_ he thought. It took a few more moments for his trained ears to pickup the telltale, almost ultrasonic, hum of laser trip wires, confirmed after he slipped onto the carefully manicured lawn by the faintest hint of ozone in the air. That could complicate things a little, but shouldn't be too much trouble. He moved carefully, his red on black eyes shining softly in the sliver of moonlight escaping through the clouds. _An excellent night for t'ieving._ A cool breeze blew lightly across him, rippling the grass but not enough to cut through his black body suit and mask.

He made it to the side of the large boarding house without incident and peered in one of the huge ground floor windows. The place seemed to be deserted as all of the inhabitants slept peacefully. Checking carefully, he concluded that the window had no alarm hooked up to it. He pulled out a playing card and slipped it carefully between the two halves, working it upward to release the latch. As soon as that was accomplished he pulled one open just enough to let him slip inside and turned to latch it as soon as he was inside.

He heard a small creak and the soft snap of a light switch being turned on at the top of the stairs. One of the students made their sleepy way down the stairs and turned to the kitchens. The traitorous window chose that moment to squeak open just a bit more, and they whipped around quickly, almost tripping in their half awake state. Gambit watched, holding his breath as they came closer. He didn't recognize them, and he was pretty sure he hadn't met a demon at school that day. That was the only thing he could think to describe this particular mutant. He had glowing yellow eyes and a barbed tail. His body was covered with dark blue fur and when he yawned Gambit could see fangs in his mouth. 

Gambit's eyes widened as he heard the young boy mumble in heavily accented English about the injustice of a curfew. This "demon" was Kurt, the German kid he had met today. He let Kurt slip into the kitchen before he left the safety of his hiding place in the heavy curtains surrounding the window. He paused for a moment, debating what to do. Finally curiosity won out over caution, and he quickly made his way up the stairs. Hiding until he saw Kurt enter his room, he went to the opposite end of the hall and opened the door. Inside he saw Jean sleeping by the soft glow of a night-light. After a quick look around her room he left, closing the door softly behind him. Smirking he turned to the next door. That evening had been fun, Jean clutching to him as he rode around town on his motorcycle, feigning interest as she pointed out landmarks and points of interest he had committed to memory days before. That had been all business, even though he had enjoyed the look of consternation on Scott's face when he had mentioned his bike.

In the next room he saw Kitty lying peacefully in her bed. Gambit's eyes moved around the room and almost popped out of his head as he saw Rogue sitting at the window. Heart pounding he stood frozen, staring at her lit by the moon's silvery light. After a moment he realized that she was asleep, her breathing deep and even. He walked slowly toward her, hardly even realizing what he was doing. She had fallen asleep in a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top. She wasn't wearing her usual makeup, and he noticed for the first time how vibrant her skin tone was.

_Gambit, ya fool, what ya doin' in here? Get out before someone catches ya._ Despite his internal remonstrances, he stood gazing down at her. She shivered in her sleep and without thought he reached down and lifted her from her chair, his skin protected by his gloves and the long sleeves of his duster. Carrying her to her bed, he tucked her in carefully, pushing back an errant strand of hair. Shaking his head he slipped quietly from the room, closing the door resolutely.

"Merde!" he whispered savagely under his breath. This wasn't like him, to be so distracted on an assignment. He was here for a reason, to find out about these two adult mutants that Essex had somehow forgotten to tell him about. With this firmly in mind he quickly scanned each of the remaining rooms in the hall, finding only the students he had met that day and an empty room. Just as he was about to enter this last room he heard the deep rumble of a motorcycle pulling up outside. _Great, one o' de adults comin' home after a late night. Prob'ly dat unsavory character I saw dis afternoon._ He ran to the back of the hallway and found a door with stairs leading up, probably to an attic. He crouched silently by the door, straining to hear any sound.

Wolverine opened the front door and got approximately three steps into the mansion before he smelled it. Someone had broken into the mansion, and not very long ago. The scent was definitely masculine and peculiarly familiar. He had smelled it somewhere before but just couldn't place it. He popped his claws with a distinct _schnict_ and an unconscious growl filled the silence of the mansion. Sniffing carefully he tracked the scent of the intruder, following his path from the window and up the stairs to the hallway.

Here he paused. The intruder's scent was all over the hallway, going to and from each room. He had been here within the last five minutes, so there was more than a good likelihood that he was still here in the house. Stalking forward on nearly silent feet he tried to determine where his prey might be hiding. Making his way slowly down the hall the smell grew steadily stronger until he stopped right in front of the door leading up into the attic where Ororo stayed.

Gambit heard the soft rumbling growl getting closer to his door and backed silently up the stairs. His luck was with him and none of the boards were loose to creak under his weight. He reached the top of the stairs without incident and was about to turn around to take in his surroundings when a loud roar sounded from down the stairwell and three shiny blades appeared, shearing through the expensive wood of the door.

Without hesitating Gambit drew a card from the deck held in place at his wrist, charged it with energy, and threw it at the door all in one smooth motion. He was already halfway to window, cursing himself again at being caught even though he couldn't for the life of him figure out how, when the explosion rocked the mansion, . Another card took care of the glass doors leading out onto some sort of balcony. It was a long drop down to the grounds. _Sometimes, I hate my life,_ he thought wryly as he looked for some other way to go but straight down. The roof was steep, but given just a little time...

Another enraged roar, much closer this time, and a woman's shout from another room in the attic that he had failed to notice decided him. He was out of time and out of options. Spinning around he took two long steps into the room, his hand going to his bo staff as he saw a short figure come barreling up the stairs after him. Catching his pursuer (_Mus' be dat Logan Jean was tellin' me about_) off guard Gambit snapped his staff to full length, clipping him in the chin in the process. He followed up with two sharp blows to his legs, knocking him down. For an instant their eyes met, and Gambit knew he was in real trouble. He had stared down all kinds of people, from rent-a-cops at the mall to the professional assassins of the New Orleans Guild. This man was more dangerous in his own way than any of them.

Without another thought he turned and ran back to the window, scattering two more cards behind him for good measure. He felt a small tug on his duster and shrugged out of it without slowing down. When he got to the balcony he threw his staff ahead of him like a javelin and followed it into the night air, diving into nothingness. _Dis is not my finest hour,_ he decided as he tried to find a soft spot to land. He hit the ground rolling and came up with three more cards charged and ready. He saw his bo lying a few yards away and ran, stooping quickly to retrieve it as he made his way to the stone wall surrounding the mansion.

All around him the grounds seemed to come to life as lasers and all sorts of nasty things lit up the night around him. He threw his cards one after the other with uncanny accuracy, always seeming to stay one step ahead of the automated security systems. He was almost to the wall when a flash of lightning struck just in front of him, forcing him to dive to the side. With a slightly sick feeling he turned around, staff held slanted in one hand and a pair of cards in the other. _Dis is not too good. Now Gambit gotta face de X-men._

  


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Rogue was awakened from a pleasant dream by a shout of rage seemingly from just outside her room. She had only barely registered this when she was jolted to full consciousness by a huge explosion. She yanked the door open without even bothering to respond to Kitty's screeched "What's going on?" She found the hall a complete shambles, with Logan lying in the splinters of what had apparently been the door to Ororo's attic. Other doors down the hall opened and she saw Scott and Jean looking up and down at the destruction. She opened her mouth to ask what was happening, but was cut off abruptly by Wolverine's sharp gesture for silence.

"I want all of you kids to get your uniforms on. We've got an intruder, and he's packing firepower. Go!" With another animalistic howl of rage he ran up the stairs.

Rogue and the rest of the students wasted no more time. In short order they were assembled again in the hallway ready to do battle. They were about to head up the stairs when they heard a loud crack of thunder from outside.

"Let's go!" Scott said, leading the way outside through the main door, all the others following. Jean and Rouge reached the lower floor ahead of everyone, flying out into the grounds as the doors opened as if by magic. Outside they found Wolverine advancing on a solitary figure, Storm still floating on the breeze. Soon they were all spread out on the lawn facing down a black clad man with a staff and what looked like playing cards with Storm the only one still flying.

"What do you want here?" Scott asked authoritatively, stepping forward slightly and placing his hand to his visor.

"Jus' lookin' around de place. Dis such a fine mansion, it remin' me o' back home." Gambit replied, trying desperately to think of a way out of this situation.

"And just where do you come from?" Professor Xavier's voice came from behind them all. The students parted to let him through to the front. He was dressed in pajamas with a blanket draped over his lap, but he didn't look as if he had been woken up. Obviously he had been up late again.

"I jus' came up from Nawlins to visit, t'ought I'd take a look aroun' de town. I see dey got all sorts round here." His eyes still hadn't left Wolverine. They watched each other, waiting for the other to move, instinctively knowing that this would be the catalyst.

"I see. And what is your name? 

"You can call me Gambit, monsieur, dat's enough for now." Gambit tensed slightly, knowing that the longer he delayed the more in control they were of the situation.

There was a gasp from above and Storm suddenly landed in between the him and the X-men. "Gambit?" she asked incredulously.

Gambit's eyes flickered to her face, then he did a double take, staring hard at her. "Chere," he asked in a near whisper, recognizing his friend from years before, seemingly come back from the dead, "is dat really you?" Unnoticed, his cards fell from his limp fingers as he took a step toward her.

That was the moment. With a savage cry Wolverine leaped at the young man. Gambit barely had time to back pedal to the wall before he felt a searing pain in his left arm. He had managed to avoid one set of claws, but the innermost claw on the other hand pinned his arm to the wall.

"No!" Storm screamed running forward.

"Wolverine," Xavier barked as the enraged man lifted his arm to strike again, still holding the thief to the wall, "let him go."

"Dat's a good idea," Gambit ground out, teeth clenched with pain and, it seemed, concentration. "Ya'll be lettin' Gambit go right now, or your friend be goin' boom."

A slow realization dawned on Wolverine's face as he felt energy coursing along his metallic bones, spreading throughout his entire body, slowly building. In his mind he saw the cards begin to glow in the boys hand, exploding violently when their energy was released. Growling fiercely he sheathed his claws and backed away from the dangerous young man. "Round one to you boy. I don't think even I could survive what I think you almost did to me. Next time, though, you won't get the chance.

Gambit saluted with his good arm, then turned to Storm, a small smile on his face. "Good to see ya alive, chere. I t'ought ya were dead. Mebbe I come visit again sometime. Right now, I tink ya betta get yo friend to a hospital." With that he jumped up easily and caught the top of the wall, swinging himself over and disappearing into the darkness.


	6. Confrontation

Chapter 6

Gambit hit the ground running hard for the trees. Trailing behind him was a string of French curses that would have anyone who understood them running as well. The main subject of his cursing was his own stupidity. He had somehow felt the need to impress his opponents with his toughness, and his vault over the wall had strained his wounded arm too far. It now hung useless by his side as he ran, clutching it to keep it from throwing his stride off. The rest of his curses were for his own carelessness. One of the first rules of his line of work was to not get distracted, and he had broken it in the first five minutes. Now he was paying for his lack of judgment with blood.

As soon as he got to the edge of the forest he stopped. He had to figure out how he had been discovered. He knew it couldn't be one of the telepaths, his mental shields combined with the unique nature of his mutant powers would keep any of them out. It had to have been that guy with the claws. He slowed his flat out run to a jog, his head starting to clear somewhat. In his profession knowledge wasn't just a luxury, it was life, and Gambit in particular had a knowledge of mutants. When he had accepted this job he had done his own research on each of them, and had come up with a name attached to professor Xavier. Wolverine. He had dismissed it at the time, thinking that a man with the ideals of the professor wouldn't associate with as notorious a figure as the Wolverine. Obviously that thinking needed to be adjusted. That Xavier would house a famous killing machine in the same house as children meant one of two things. Either he himself was being coerced (_Ya right_) or he had somehow managed to tame the beast. Either way, it meant a serious adjustment of plans and tactics.

The fact that his friend was part of their team also changed things drastically. He now had a personal connection, which was always dangerous. It also meant that Essex knew a lot more about him than he liked. He had deliberately not told him about Ororo to keep him from refusing the job and he hadn't told him about Wolverine to keep him from being suspicious. Maybe it was time to reevaluate the entire mission.

  


* * *

  


They all stood staring at Wolverine and Storm, dazed by what they had just witnessed. Xavier was the first to come to. "All of you, let's get Logan inside quickly. We need to find out what this Gambit did to him and see if we can reverse it."

Most of the students quickly surrounded him and herded him towards the house, leaving Rogue and Storm standing by the wall. Storm was staring at the place where Gambit had disappeared and Rogue was staring at her.

"Uh, Miss Munroe..." she trailed off for a moment, gathering her thoughts and her courage. "How... how do you know that guy, and who is he?"

Ororo sighed heavily and turned to face the young girl. "He is my friend." she replied quietly. "I met him a few years ago down in New Orleans. I had lost my memory and been wandering the streets for three days before he found me. Even though he was much younger, he wanted to help me. He didn't even ask for anything in return. I think he just wanted a friend, more than anything."

"But didn't he have his own friends? What I mean is, why would he be so desp'rate?"

"I'm sure you noticed his eyes. His mutation is very evident and it made it difficult for him to even be around people. Even those who should have been like family to him feared him. They called him Le Diable Blanc. It means The White Devil. Not something you would call friendly."

"But why help you? Ah'm sure he could have found someone who would accept him."

"Oh, he had people who accepted him. He was a member of the New Orleans Thieves Guild. One of the very best of a group of professional thieves. But he is a good person, despite his chosen occupation. He doesn't like to see people hurting," here she grinned quickly, "especially women. But that is beside the point. He was a good friend. When my memory came back, I remembered my mutant powers. When I used them, Professor Xavier found me and recruited me. I wasn't able to find him before we had to leave. Now it appears he was hired by an enemy of ours. I don't know what I can do."

Rogue reached out a gloved hand and patted her friend on the arm. "Don't worry. Ah'm sure things will turn out for the best." She left Storm standing outside and headed back to the mansion and her bed. She was too excited to sleep however, her mind going over and over the events of the night. She climbed out of bed with the sun shining through her window, bleary eyed, but with a terrible suspicion growing in the back of her mind.

She refused to talk to anyone at breakfast, thankful that what conversation there was was centered around Logan, who was up and about, his body having absorbed the energy that the metal bonded to his bones had been charged with. When Scott told everyone to pile in his car she complied immediately, without her usual wait. She even ignored his frequent glances at Jean and the playful banter between them. As her friends chattered away, she brooded about her suspicions. All night she had heard Gambit's smooth Cajun accent running through her head, threatening Wolverine. Her mind had inexplicably flashed back to that day, when Remy had given her a ride home. He had seen Logan and left in a rush, saying something to her about a rain check. She had thought at the time that his accent had changed from that painfully correct French accent to one much more like Gambit's. She had dismissed it as her imagination before, but now she wasn't so sure.

When they arrived at school she was the first out of the car, practically running to her first class. She had to find Remy and talk to him, and since they had their first class together, that seemed the logical place to begin. When she got to her classroom she found the door slightly ajar and, peeking in, saw Remy sitting at his desk wearing a long red sweater and aparently sleeping with his head resting on his folded arms.

As soon as she started to swing the door open so she could slip through Remy's head shot up and and looked right at her through his dark sunglasses. He broke into a tired smile at her surprise. "Hello chere." he greeted her quietly. "What brings you to the classroom so early?"

Now that she was face to face with him, she suddenly didn't know quite what to do. If he really was Gambit, then she had no idea how he might react. He may try to escape or he may attack her. If he wasn't then she would look like a fool, and there was little that she hated more than looking like a fool. She looked down at her hands to find herself wringing them in front of her. _Stop that_ she told herself, putting her hands determinedly into her pockets.

Remy cocked his head to the, her obvious discomfort not lost on him. "What's the matter, chere?" he asked quietly. "You look upset." To his surprise, he genuinely wanted to know.

She looked at him cautiously for a moment, wondering how much would be wise to tell him. If he was the one who had broken in it wouldn't matter at all, but if he wasn't then how much should she say? How much did she want to say? "Well... last night someone broke inta our house."

Only years of practice kept any surprise from showing on his face. This was the last thing he had expected her to say. He had guessed by now that her nervousness was because she suspected who he really was, but that she would tell him this even in light of that stunned him. He found himself replying automatically. "Is everyone alright, chere."

There it was again, almost imperceptible this time. His accent had changed slightly when he had said _chere._ "Yeah, we're all fine. The only one who even really got hurt was the thief."

"How did you catch him?"

"Logan came home late and found him prowlin' around the place. 'Course, he almost got hurt himself, but he's fine."

Remy felt a strange relief at that. He hadn't wanted to hurt any of them, even if they were his targets. "That's good, at least."

Suddenly Rogue couldn't stand it any more. She had to know if Remy was the one who had broken in or not. His eyes would definitely give him away. For some reason she hadn't been able to get those smoldering red eyes out her head, and that silky voice had kept her awake most of the night. Her hand darted out to grab his sunglasses.

And stopped an inch short with his hand around her wrist, holding her tightly through the cloth of her shirt. "Easy chere, you know Remy has sensitive eyes," he said cooly, pulling her fingers away from his face.

She looked at him in shock. She knew she had possibly the best reflexes on the team next to Kurt. She had to since her powers hadn't afforded her any kind of protection before. She _knew_ she was fast, and Remy had caught her with no warning whatsoever.

"Now chere, what was that all about?" he asked curiously, cocking his head slightly to the side.

Rogue pulled her hand away from his warm grip and looked away for a moment, biting her lip cutely. Taking a deep breath she turned back to Remy and looked him straight in the eyes. "Was it you?"

"Was what me, chere?" he asked innocently, his mind racing. _What should I do? She knows._

"Don't play dumb with me Remy," she bit out savagely. "Were you the one who broke into our house last night?"

And for the first time in his life, the carefully crafted lie that was his alibi froze on Gambit's tounge, refusing to come out. He realized that, for some reason, he _couldn't_ lie to her. With that realization came the sure knowledge that he was caught and his mission was over. Heaving a great sigh, he stood up and grasped her arm. "Come wit me, chere. We got tings to talk about."

Rogue was too shocked to think straight. It _was_ him. The same accent. The same _voice_! She followed his tugging blindly as he led her from the room and down the hall, her mind reeling and trying to come to grips. Before she knew it she was sitting behind him once more on his motorcycle racing down the streets toward the mansion.

  


* * *

  


"I can't believe your defending that punk, Storm." Wolverine growled, pacing up and down the length of the study that the three resident adults of the mansion were gathered in. "He breaks in here, practically blows the place up, disappears off the radar and you say it's no big deal?"

"I am not defending his actions, Logan," she responded calmly. "I merely stated that _what_ he did last night is of very little importance compared with _why_ he did it. Gambit is a professional thief, and we need to find out who hired him, and for what purpose." She stared back at him almost challengingly.

"I agree, Ororo," Professor Xavier interjected before Logan could come up with a rejoinder. "I would very much like to talk with this young man. Aside from the knowledge we might gain of his employers identity and goals, his skills might prove very useful to us. Unfortunately I have so far had very little luck in locating him. It seems his mental shields are quite formidable. Is it possible that you might be able to locate him for us?

Storm sighed thoughtfully, shaking her head slightly. "I might be able to help him to find me. If I put the word out that I am looking for him, he may contact me on his own. I doubt that he would come here again, though.

"Yer darn right about that," Logan interrupted, unsheathing his claws. "Next time that punk comes around here, I'm gonna slice up more than his arm."

_Professah!!!_

Xavier heard Rogues voice ringing in her head, drowning out the impending arguement between Logan and Ororo. _What is it, Rogue? What's wrong._

_Ah found him. Ah found Gambit. He was that new kid at school. He's bringing me back to the mansion. What should ah do?_

_Try to calm down, Rogue. We will meet you outside._ Xavier looked up at the other two who had noticed his silence and were watching him curiously. "It appears that Rogue has done our work for us. She has found Gambit, and they will both be here in a few minutes. I suggest we go outside to meet them."

Both teachers stood dumbstruck for a moment, staring first at each other and then at the retreating back of Xavier as he wheeled to the front door. Logan growled and stalked after him, with Storm following close behind. By the time they reached the warm sunshine outside, they could hear the throaty rumble of a motorcycle coming down the road.

"Harley Davidson," Wolverine remarked to no one in particular.

Suddenly the bike they had been hearing swung into the driveway and gunned up to them, sliding to a stop in front of the steps leading up into the mansion. Rogue leapt off the back and tore her helmet off, retreating to the safety of her teachers and Gambit swung casually off the bike.

"We gotta talk, mon ami," he said without preample to Xavier.

"Indeed we do. But first I must know why you are here," Xavier replied.

"I'm here to help my friend."

"Who sent you, kid," Wolverine demanded, unsheathing his claws for emphasis.

"His name is Sinister.


	7. Revelation

Many thanks to _**everyone**_ who has reviewed. I will explain why no one else recognized that Remy and Gambit were the same. Also, He had on a mask when he broke into the institute, so that is why Storm didn't recognize him. 

Please let me know if you would like me to play up the sayain angle more or just leave it as it is. This is your chance to influence the story! Once more thank you! Have fun reading.

Chapter 7

"So your saying that this 'Mr. Sinister' hired you to come to Bayville and sow discord among my students?" the professor asked evenly, looking closely at Gambit for any hint of deception. They were all seated in the library now, listening intently to his story.

"Dat's right, mon ami. De old divide and conquer bit," he responed matter of factly. He glanced quickly around the room again, his eyes hidden behind his dark glasses. He had noticed when they first entered that Wolverine had placed himself between Remy and the door. He hadn't moved since, just glowered at the thief with his arms folded over his chest. Ororo had taken a seat next to Rogue, and both were staring at him in barely concealed shock.

"What was his plan for us then?" Xavier's question brought his gaze sharply back to the wheelchair bound man. He could tell that Gambit didn't trust telepaths. He probed gently at the edges of his mind, which was difficult to find even though he was sitting right in front of him. His questing thoughts encountered a black wall, and he brushed lightly against the hard, marble like surface, tracing it's contours lightly, trying to ascertain if there was a weakness.

Gambit felt the feather light touch on psychic shields and twitched involuntaritly. He glared at Xavier as he felt irrational anger begin to rise. He knew these people had no reason to trust him and every reason to fear him, but that didn't make any difference. He leaned forward in his chair and pulled his shades down with one finger, looking straight into Xaviers eyes with his own burning red pupils. _Dat's far enough,_ he broadcast mentally, while answering out loud. "De're plan was to attack de institute and kidnap as many of de students as possible. Dey 'specially interested in Scott and Jean... and Rogue." He glanced quickly at her, feeling a stab of guilt as he saw the fear rising in her green eyes.

"I see," the professor said, surprise evident in his voice. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you telling us this? Why help us?"

Remy's eyes locked onto the floor. "I was given de job under false pretenses. Dey told me dat de're only be you and de students. I broke in because I needed to learn more 'bout de two adults I wasn' told 'bout. When I saw Stormy," he smirked at her look of exasperation. In the short time he had been speaking with them he had learned their code names and had adopted them, in his own fashion, "I knew dat dey didn' tell me 'bout her 'cause I wouldn' have taken de job." He looked up at Storm then swept his gaze back to the professor, lingering almost imperceptibly on Rogue. "She my friend. Dat's why."

"Who's they, kid?" Wolverine spoke for the first time since they had entered the room. Everyone in the room except Remy started at the unexpected sound of his voice.

Remy looked right at him as he replied. "Sinister's got a group of mutants he calls de Marauders. Got some nasty character in de're. Scalphunter, Sabertooth, Vertigo..."

"Wait a second," Wolverine interrupted him. "Sabertooth?"

"You know him, mon ami?"

"We are familiar with Sabertooth, yes." Xavier answered, again taking charge of the conversation. "Now, Gambit. You've shown remarkable control over your mutant abilities. How did you learn that?"

"Necessity," he answered shortly. "Now, if dat's all, I bettah get goin'." He got up to leave.

Wolverine uncrossed his arms with a warning growl. "I don't think so, bub." 

"You are, of course, free to leave at any time," the professor said calmy into the tense silence. "In fact, I believe Ororo has the staff you left behind on your last 'visit'. Quite a fascinating device. I was hoping however that you would consider staying with us for at least a short while.

Everyone in the room stared at him in complete shock, then Gambit started laughing and all eyes turned to him. "Dat gotta be de best joke I heard in months, mon ami. Remy back in school. Non, can't see dat happenin', thanks all de same. I'll just be goin' now b'fore claw boy burst a vessel." He nodded at Wolverine, who was staring red faced at him. He picked up Storms hand and bowed low, kissing the backs of her fingers. "I see you again, chere." Then he gave a small, almost shy smile to Rogue and walked to the doors.

"Just hold it right there, bub." Logan said, reaching out and grabbing his left arm.

Gambit gave a samll gasp and quickly wrenched his arm free. He tried to act as if nothing had happened but Storm stood up and quickly walked over to him. "Remy, you're still hurt. Why didn't you get this taken care of yet?" she asked, touching his arm lightly.

"Now Stormy, it's not'in more den a scratch. B'sides, I couldn' be late for school, now could I. Den I'd miss all de belle femmes." He shot Rogue a suave smile and quickly ducked out the door.

Rogue scowled at his retreating back. Inwardly she thrilled at his compliment, while at the same time still seething at his betrayal. She had opened herself up to him, more so than she had to any other person who wasn't a student here, even more than some of them, and he had turned out to be the enemy. But it seemed that no matter how hard she tried to fight it there was a bond between them. He seemed to somehow understand her and what she was going through better than the others. _Ah don't care one bit whetha' he stays or goes. That boy ain't nothin' but a swamp rat. Ah don't see how he was evah friends with Miss Munroe._

"Rogue," Xavier broke in on her musings. "I think that perhaps you should be getting back to school. It will be lunch time soon and the others are likely to wonder where you are."

"But..." she broke off, shoulders slumping in defeat. There was no mistaking the note of dismissal in the professors voice. She despondently made her way outside to the front steps of the mansion to wait for one of the adults to drive her to school.

"Well, if dat ain't de saddest face ah ever seen since Julien found out I was datin' his sister Belle."

Startled, Rouge spun around to find Gambit leaning casually against the wall of the mansion, smiling calmly at her as if her didn't have a care in the world. "What are ya still doin' here, swamp rat?" she asked harshly.

"Just waitin' to see if the belle gotta ride to de ball, chere. No harm in dat, is dere?" he asked smugly, smiling an innocent smile only slightly spoiled by the hint of a swagger as he walked toward her. When Rogue flinched back slightly he stopped, looking closely at her. "I ain' gonna hurt ya chere. I'm on your side now, 'member?

"Ah don't trust ya." she said flatly, looking him straight in the eyes, or where she thought his eyes would be, covered by his sunglasses. 

He looked at her for a moment, then smiled sardonically. "Dat's a good ting, chere. You don' trust someone, den dey can' let you down." He turned and started down the steps, heading for his bike.

Rogue hadn't missed the bitterness in his voice, and it struck a cord in her. She followed him down the steps, irrationally angry at him for it. "Why don't you evah take off those stupid glasses? It's not like we don't know your secret." she said, trying to goad him into a reaction.

He turned around and looked back at her, his face expressionless. "Why don' you take off dose gloves, chere?" he asked her quietly.

"If I take off mah gloves, someone could get hurt." she snarled back, her temper rising.

"Dey all know your secret. Ain't none o' dem gonna let you hurt dem. I tink you jus' scared to open yo'self up to anyone. I know all 'bout hidin', and you seem ta be pretty good at it." He threw the last comment over his shoulder as he climbed onto his bike. Any response she might have made was drowned out by the sound of his motorcycle as he revved the engine and peeled off down the driveway.

Rogue stared after him, watching the cloud of dust he kicked up trail off towards the town and trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes. _What does that swamp rat know anyway._ she thought as she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She quickly scrubbed it away with a sleeve. _He's got no right to talk to me like that. He doesn't even knows me._

"Don't listen to him, kid." she heard Logan's low voice come from behind her. "He ain't got any idea what he's talking about." Privately he thought that Gambit had a point, Rogue needed to open up more to the others, but he knew from personal experience that it was easier said than done. His thoughts drifted to a certain white haired teammate. _Don't even go there, bub,_ he thought to himself. _She's a lady if there ever was one. Ain't got nothing in common with a back woods amnesia case like you._ He shook his head to clear it. "You ready to go back to school now?"

"Yeah, ah guess," she mused silently for awhile. "Logan, do ya think he was right? About if ah took of my gloves, ah mean." She looked up at him curiously, almost pleadingly.

_Oh great, how come I gotta get stuck with a conversation like this. Ain't my lucky day, that's fer sure._ He thought about her question for a few moments. "I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that I wouldn't have a problem with it." He gave her one of his rare half smiles. "With you being able to crush marble with your hands now I don't see how it makes much difference. We all know you can be careful."

She looked up at him for a few moments longer, then returned his smile with one of her own. "Thanks," she said simply.

"No problem kid."

They rode the rest of the way to school in silence, neither of them noticing the shiny black Harley Parked next to the fence surrounding the water tower as they drove by in the distance. Gambit looked down at them as they drove past. He liked to come up here to think. It always helped to clear his head, as if somehow the clarity of a view uncluttered by trees and buildings were connected with clarity of thought. He knew he shouldn't have gotten involved with them. It was unprofessional and sloppy. _But she's my friend. I can't let my friend get hurt, not 'cause o' me._ In his minds eye the picture of Storm changed, the hair becoming darker, except for two streaks in the front, the eyes turning green. He sighted heavily. _I tol' her true. You don' trust someone, den dey can' hurt ya. Shoulda tol' myself de same ting. _He smiled bitterly, finally realizing that he truly was involved in their lives now. Not just his body, but his heart as well.


	8. Decisions

Sorry to everyone who has been waiting for this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait. I plan on updating regularly from now on.

Chapter 8 

* * *

Gambit made his way back to the abandoned house that he had claimed for this operation. Spreading his duster on the floor he lay down on top of it and closed his eyes. A moment later he heard a quiet beeping coming from his packs. Fetching them, he located the source of the disturbing noise. A slim black computer. With a sinking feeling he opened it slowly. The screen flickered to life, showing a face pale as death staring back at him.

"Ah, Gambit so good to see you again." came the carefully modulated voice, sounding impressive even over the tiny built in speakers. "How goes your job?"

"Jus' great," he answered carefully. Now was not the time to give away his position. "I tink de're startin' to trust me. I was able to get one of them to take me up to their mansion." He decided to dig just a little for some information, to find out where Essex really stood. "De're was a little problem dough. A man there dat wasn' on your scout reports. Any idea who dat might be?" He kept the accusation out of his voice, trying for the proper balance of professionalism and casual curiosity.

If Gambit hadn't been looking for it he never would have seen the slight hint of annoyance flash across Sinister's face, quickly replaced by consternation. "I have no idea who that might be. Perhaps it is time to move forward with our plans. Have you been able to get a feel for the group?"

Remy felt a slightly sick feeling. It was too soon for them to attack. If they struck now the X-Men wouldn't be ready. He had to find a way to delay Sinister. "De're pretty tight wit each ot'er. Give me a little more time to divide 'em and den you can come in and do de conquering." He silently held his breath as he watched the other man consider this information.

After a moment Essex shook his head. "I don't believe that will be necessary. If we strike at them in a public place they will be reluctanct to use their powers where others might see them. That will give us enough of an advantage. You may choose the place, just make sure that they are there."

"Ah still don't tink dis is a good idea..." he began almost desperately.

"I did not ask for you assessment of my plan. I merely require you to do your job."

Gambit swallowed. _Dis ain't goin good. I gotta tink fast. _ He looked back at him steadily. "Fine den. I'll have dem in de park at eight o'clock tonight. Have your thugs be dere on time."

"Very well. Eight o'clock then."

The screen went black and Remy fell backwards onto his duster, hands over his face. He spent a few seconds indulging in the luxury of cursing in French. After he had gone through every combination he could remember he sat up and reached for his bags again. Opening the first aid kit he found there he stripped off his sweater and started reapplying a bandage to his left arm grimacing as he wiped the puncture wound clean with an alcohol swab. _ It's a good ting that Wolverine got some sharp claws. I can still mostly use my arm. Mebbe I'll be enough to make de difference._ Resolutely he tightened the clean bandage around his and and reached a third time into the bags. This time his hands came back out holding his personalized body armor. It was a two piece set, the top having no sleeves and a light redish dye to identify him to other members of the thieves guild. The bottoms had the same tinting, unnoticeable except at close quarters. The entire thing was made of triple layered kevlar, woven through with sensor absorbing thread, making it extremely difficult to identify him with any kind of scanners, body heat sensors or other.

Gambit sat there staring at it for several long minutes. Ever since he had been kicked out of the thieves guild, he had tried to stay away from anything that reminded him of his past connection with them. This time, however, he had a feeling he was going to need every advantage he could get. He slowly stripped, his lean body shivering at the frigid New York air. _ Still ain't used to dis cold_, he thought wryly. The old body armor felt stiff and unfamiliar as he put it on and stretched quickly. He finished his ensemble with his bo staff back in it's old pocket along his thigh and his cards, this time in twin wrist packs, and he even exchanged his regular Ray Bans for a pair of bulletproof polarized shades. He slipped back into his duster last of all and gathered up all of his belongings. Loading them on the back of his motorcycle, a cloud of dust was all that remained behind as he swiftly made his way back towards the X-Men's mansion.

* * *

"Hey Rogue, vere have you been?" Kurt asked amiably as Rogue set her tray down beside him at the table.

"Your teachers said you didn't show up for any of your morning classes." Scott said sternly, giving her a disapproving look.

"Ah didn't feel well, so Remy gave me a ride back ta the mansion. Logan just dropped me off."

"Hey, where is Remy?" Evan piped up.

"Who cares?" Rogue replied hotly. "He's a jerk."

The whole table looked at her in shock. "Why, what did he do?" Scott asked, switching from stern to protective leader mode. Any other time it would have made Rogue feel a little better to know that he was worried about _her,_ but right now it just annoyed her.

"Rogue, he didn't, like, try to pull anything on you, did he?" Kitty asked in concern.

"Like it'd do him any good anyway," she answered bitterly.

An awkward silence settled on the table and no one spoke until the bell rang to send them back to their classes. Rogue pushed away her barely touched tray of food and stalked off, the others staring after her.

"Man is she ticked off," Evan commented into the silence.

"Yeah. You'd think she'd just been, like, dumped." Everyone stared at Kitty. "What?"

* * *

"Look 'Ro, I just don't like the kid. You said yourself that he's a thief for hire, and he's been hired to hurt _us_." Logan argued. He and Storm had been arguing ever since he had gotten back from dropping Rogue off at school. He had never seen her this angry before, and it was starting to effect the weather around the mansion, the air growing chilling, and a fog gathering on the grounds.

"I have told you, Logan, it is because he is a professional that we can trust him now. He took the job under misinformation, and that itself is ground for him to drop the job. Beside, you don't even know him." With that she stalked up the stairs to the remnants of her attic.

Wolverine growled under his breath. What did he care if she didn't agree with him. It wasn't his problem that she was upset. But somehow it was. It genuinely bothered him that something he had done had upset her. _Yer gettin' soft_ he told himself with a grimace, going outside and sitting on the front porch to smoke his cigar. He had finished it, mulling over the problem with Ororo, and was just about to get back up when he heard the familiar sound of a mortorcycle coming up the hill. His eyes narrowed as his enhanced hearing picked up the subtle sounds mixed into it. It was the same bike. That Gambit kid was coming back.

As Gambit pulled up to the front steps he saw Wolverine blocking the front door with his arms crossed. Throwing his duster back he dismounted and stood looking warily at the older man, waiting for him to make the first move.

"What you doin' here, punk?" Wolverine growled at him suspiciously, not moving a muscle.

"You got bigger problems den me, homme. I need to talk to de professor."

"How bout I take care of the little problem first," he replied taking a threatening step closer.

"Dis isn' about me an you finishin' our spat, claws. Dis is about Rogue, an de others, bein' kept safe an whole." Remy said loudly.

"What? What are you talkin' about?"

"Sinister is gonna make a grab for dem tonight. I tol' him I'd get them into the park at eight. Dey ain't gonna stand a chance if we don' help em."

Logan looked at him hard for a few seconds, searching his eyes for any sign of deception. All he could could see were the eyes of a proffesional, someone like himself who had seen too much. And underneath that, almost completely buried, a concern and fear. "Let's go talk to Xavier then. We gotta do somethin'."

Gambit followed Wolverine down the hallways of the mansion, almost unconsciously noting the locations of potential exits as well as appraising the value of paintings and vases strewn throughout the building. They had reached a tall door, and Wolverine unceremoniously pushed it open and walked inside.

"Chuck, we gotta big problem." he said without preamble.

Xavier glanced past him at Gambit, mild surprise showing on his face. "I imagine this is something that we all should hear, let me have Storm come down." His expression went blank for a second, then returned to normal. "She will be down in a moment. May I offer you something?" he asked Gambit politely.

"Non." he said tensely, anxious for Storm to arrive so they could begin planning on how to protect the students. As soon as she arrived, he laid the situation before them in it's entirety, leaving nothing out. When he finished, there was a heavy silence.

"So this Dr. Essex is a geneticist who is apparently obsessed with genetic perfection?" Xavier asked with interest.

"Sorta," Gambit replied with a grimace. "From what I've heard, he believes in de genetic breeding and manipulation of mutants for his own goals. Somethin' about preparin' for de Apoclypse or some such."

"And he wishes to capture our students to forward his goals." Storm added quietly.

"Dat's right. He is most interested in Scott and Jean, and Rogue. He's plannin' on kidnapping as many as he can tonight." He was pacing the floor anxiously, red eyes glowing as he stared at the floor.

"So we go meet em and kick their butts. Problem solved." Logan growled, his claws shooting out with a steely shnict.

"I would prefer to avoid any open confrontations, Logan." the professor chided.

"Ain't gonna work, mon ami. If he don' get what he wants tonight, he'll jus' keep tryin' till he does. At least dis way we got de element of surprise. When know when and where he's gonna be, and he _don'_ know that he'll be up against the three of us." He ignored Logan's surprised glance in his direction.

Xavier considered this carefully. "Very well, I see your point. I will contact the students and apprise them of the situation. Before you leave, however, I would like to ask you a favor."

Remy looked at him warily. "What is dis 'favor'."

"I would like to have your assessment of something. Having been able to break into this mansion without being detected you are obviously very good at what you do. I may have need of your talents."

Gambit smirked. "Dey don't come cheap, mon ami."

"If I find that I wish to employ your services, you will of course receive whatever payment you consider fair."

"You're serious?"

"Very."

"What's de job?"

Xavier smiled warmly. "Come with me to the danger room."

* * *

About an hour later Gambit emerged, panting and sweating, from the danger room. "Dat's some tight security dey got in dere. I didn' tink I was gonna make it a couple o' times."

"An excellent performance, I must say." Xavier lauded. "Your reputation is extremely deserved. You managed to wipe the databanks and shut down the main power to the facility. I am most impressed."

"I still didn' make a clean sweep of it." He scolded himself. "I shoulda known dere would be a backup generator. But I sure wasn' expecting dose big robots."

"Yes, and yet you managed to get away unscathed. You got farther than the entire team of my students. We could use your help."

"Like I said before, Proffesseur, school ain't no place for Gambit." he replied with a tinge of regret.

"Nevertheless, I may still employ your professional services."

"Gambit give you a special rate, 'cause you know his friend." he winked at Ororo, who rolled her eyes.

Wolverine entered the room at that moment. "The kids are back." he said shortly.


End file.
